CBP seizes largest fentanyl shipment

U.S. Customs officers at Nogales border crossing find 254 pounds of the drug hidden in a truckload of cucumbers.

CBP seizes largest fentanyl shipment

U.S. Customs officers at Nogales border crossing find 254 pounds of the drug hidden in a truckload of cucumbers.

CBP seizes largest fentanyl shipment

U.S. Customs officers at Nogales border crossing find 254 pounds of the drug hidden in a truckload of cucumbers.

By Chris Gillis | Feb 1, 2019

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Nogales, Ariz., border crossing seized 254 pounds of fentanyl hidden in a specially made floor compartment of a truck trailer that was transporting a load of cucumbers. The fentanyl, which has a value of about $3.5 million, is the largest single shipment of the deadly drug seized by the agency so far. CBP announced details of the seizure, which took place at the Port of Nogales last Saturday, at a press conference Thursday. In the same trailer, CBP officers also found another 395 pounds of methamphetamine, valued at about $1.1 million. The 26-year-old truck driver from Mexico was arrested and turned over to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), who charged him with two counts of possession with intent to distribute. He remains in federal custody.

U.S. containerized imports continue to be robust with retailers and other businesses trying to beat potential tariff increases in March. The problem is that warehouses and storage facilities are running out of space.

Hackett Associates founder Ben Hackett

Uncertainty over the cargo volumes in 2019 will continue due to the concerns on a global economic slowdown, Brexit, and the U.S.-China trade conflict.